Multimedia player and menu screen display method

Abstract

A menu management unit relates items of contents received from a storage unit to multiple folder icons 120 , which represent units for displaying contents. A menu screen generating unit generates image data for a menu screen 50 , which includes a function icon array 70 formed by multiple function icons 52 - 62 aligned horizontally, and a folder icon array 72 formed by multiple folder icons 120 aligned vertically. With respect to each of the multiple folder icons, an effect processing unit receives, as a folder attachment image 122 , one of content icons representing related contents from the storage unit, and then displays, in the folder icon array 72 , the folder attachment image 122 and the folder icon 120 so that the folder attachment image is included in the semi-transparent folder icon superimposed upon the image.

1 . A multimedia player capable of playing digital contents, comprising:
 an operation unit which receives an instruction as to content playing via a user's operation;   a storage unit which stores data of a plurality of function icons representing the types of content playing functions, contents, data of a plurality of content icons representing items of the contents, and data of a semi-transparent folder icon representing a unit for displaying contents;   a display output unit which outputs, to a display apparatus, image data of a menu screen related to the playing of the content, and which plays an item of a content received from the storage unit in accordance with a user's instruction received by the operation unit; and   a display control unit which relates the item of the content received from the storage unit to one of the types of the content playing functions and a plurality of folder icons, and which generates image data for the menu screen including a first array in which the plurality of function icons are arranged on the screen, and a second array in which the plurality of folder icons are arranged on the screen,   wherein, with respect to each of the plurality of folder icons, the display control unit receives, as a folder attachment image, one of content icons representing related contents from the storage unit, and then displays, in the second array on the menu screen, the folder attachment image and the folder icon so that the folder attachment image is included in the folder icon superimposed thereon.   
   
   
       2 . The multimedia player of  claim 1 , wherein, when one of the folder icons in the second array is selected in accordance with a user's instruction received by the operation unit, the display control unit displays the folder attachment image in such a manner as to be extracted from the folder icon. 
   
   
       3 . The multimedia player of  claim 2 , wherein, when one of the folder icons in the second array is selected in accordance with a user's instruction received by the operation unit, the display control unit performs a fade-in by which an image of a content icon, in an extended state, of a content related to the folder icon is gradually made clear in a menu screen. 
   
   
       4 . The multimedia player of  claim 2 , wherein, when one of the folder icons in the second array is selected in accordance with a user's instruction received by the operation unit, the display control unit displays any or all of the function icons, folder icons other than the selected folder icon, and folder attachment images in the first array and the second array in such a manner as to be smaller in image size than the icons and images displayed before the selection of the folder icon. 
   
   
       5 . The multimedia player of  claim 2 , wherein, when one of the folder icons in the second array is selected in accordance with a user's instruction received by the operation unit, the display control unit displays any or all of the function icons, folder icons other than the selected folder icon, and folder attachment images in the first array and the second array, with images acquired by applying a filter for making images visually indistinctive, instead of the icons or images displayed before the selection of the folder icon. 
   
   
       6 . The multimedia player of  claim 2 , wherein, when one of the folder icons in the second array is selected in accordance with a user's instruction received by the operation unit, the display control unit displays any or all of the function icons, folder icons other than the selected folder icon, and folder attachment images in the first array and the second array, to which image transformation is applied to obtain a visual effect as if such icons and images moved toward the back of the screen vertical axis from a user's point of view. 
   
   
       7 . The multimedia player of  claim 1 , wherein data of the folder icon in the storage unit is texture data representing a semi-transparent case, and data of the content icon is a thumbnail of a jacket image, photo data, a frame of a moving image or a game screen. 
   
   
       8 . The multimedia player of  claim 7 , wherein the thumbnail is a moving image. 
   
   
       9 . The multimedia player of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the storage unit stores a plurality of contents that can be classified in accordance with a plurality of predefined views; and   the display control unit changes contents related to the folder icon in accordance with a user's instruction received by the operation unit, and selects one of content icons of contents classified in accordance with a changed view to define the selected icon as the folder attachment image.   
   
   
       10 . The multimedia player of  claim 9 , wherein the display control unit superimposes and displays with the folder icon a character string related to the view. 
   
   
       11 . A menu screen display method for displaying a menu screen using a content player, comprising:
 retrieving data of a plurality of function icons representing the types of content playing functions, contents, data of a plurality of content icons representing items of the contents, and data of a semi-transparent folder icon representing a unit for displaying contents;   relating an item of a retrieved content to one of the types of the content playing functions and a plurality of folder icons, and generating image data for the menu screen including a first array in which the plurality of function icons are arranged on the screen, and a second array in which the plurality of folder icons are arranged on the screen; and   outputting, to a display apparatus, image data of the menu screen related to the playing of the content, wherein, in the generating, one of content icons representing related contents is received as a folder attachment image, with respect to each of the plurality of folder icons, and the folder attachment image and the folder icon are displayed in the second array on the menu screen so that the folder attachment image is included in the folder icon superimposed thereon.   
   
   
       12 . A computer program product executed by a computer to display a menu screen on a display, comprising:
 a retrieving module which retrieves data of a plurality of function icons representing the types of content playing functions, contents, data of a plurality of content icons representing items of the contents, and data of a semi-transparent folder icon representing a unit for displaying contents;   a generating module which relates an item of a retrieved content to one of the types of the content playing functions and a plurality of folder icons, and generates image data for the menu screen including a first array in which the plurality of function icons are arranged on the screen, and a second array in which the plurality of folder icons are arranged on the screen; and   an outputting module which outputs, to a display apparatus, image data of the menu screen related to the playing of the content,   wherein, with the generating module, one of content icons representing related contents is received as a folder attachment image, with respect to each of the plurality of folder icons, and the folder attachment image and the folder icon are displayed in the second array on the menu screen so that the folder attachment image is included in the folder icon superimposed thereon.   
   
   
       13 . A computer-readable recording medium having the computer program product of  claim 12  stored thereon.